Advertising display apparatus.



T. W. MUHAN. ADVERTISING DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV, I3. 1918- Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

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VERTISING DISPLAY APPARATUS.

meedeed Specification of Letters Patent.

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.application filed November 13, 1918, Serial No. 262,364.

To aiZ whom t may concern ide 'it knownthat l, THOMAS YV. MonAN, a citizen oif the nited States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have inf vented certain new and useful improvements in Advertising Display Apparatus, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates "to an advertising display apparatus, which is adapted to eX- hibit a plurality of signs arranged preferably in a polygonal frame which is movable so that they are intermittently changed in a novel manner.

@ne object of my invention is to mount the signs upon a rotatable rack or support which'is suspended so that in addition to its rotation @viii have a bodily movement toward a 'from the wall or supporting surface behind it. which bodily movement is in part responsive to gravity so that I obtain a more rapid Y vide longer periods o'lz rest for exposure of the ditierent displays.

i further object is to provide a novel and lrive forthe display rack which ut the latter to advance half of ng movement in response to a gravity action, leaving the mechanical drive to slowly follow up and again engage' and move-the display rack for the next change of displaytliis arrangement acting to double 'the' duration of the stationerydisplay periods 'as contrasted with the periods durj ing which the apparatus is in motion. y

My in.='ention also comprises the novel details oi construction ot the display rack to the end that the iatter may beproduced in a very light term and inexpensively.

' My inventionv further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, 'which in their preferred embodiments only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and in which Figure l is a longitudinal vertical sectional vie-w through a street car showing a three sided dispiay rack in *front elevation and Partial"n in section.

' an end view of Fig. 1 with the wali breath away to snow the rack in end eleve-tien,

change of the display and pro- Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 ot' Fig. l. y j

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding tov Fig. 3 of a modified type of display rack.A

Similar reference numerals refer to simi lar parts throughout the drawings.

As illustrated, the display rack is mounted upon a center shaft 1 which is preferably a light' tube having fixed thereon by keys or equivalent means a plurality of spaced spiders having hubs 3 and radial arms 4; The spider is preferably made of thin light metal and at the outer end of each arm is provided a yoke bearing 5 for a light tie rod 6 .which passes through'sutable holes in the aliningyokesof corresponding spider arms along the full length of the display rack. A light antifriction roller 7 is mounted to turn on the rod 6 as an axis in each yoke 5 and I mount on each rod 6 between adjacent spiders a Ushaped metal clip 8 having tongues 9 bent downwardly to form eyes through which the rod 6 passes freely, thus securing the clip thereon but leaving it free to turn or rock. The edges of the clip overhang suiliciently to ,engage and hold the' edges of advertising cards 1U when the latter are forced into place between the clips on adjacent spider arms in the manner. shown in Fig. 3. `ri`he rod 6,roller 7 and clips 8` are common to each spider arm so that the rack as thus assembled is adapted to have three display faces in which three longitudinal series of cards are detachably mounted.

rl`he shafty 1 is journaled inthe free ends of swinging arms'or links 11 which are j ournaled 'on bearing brackets 12 made fast to the transvers 7 end or vestibule walls of the car.' The bearing bracket 12 is providedwith a longitudinal bearing therethrough in alinement with a hole 13 in the vestibule wall`14 and a driving shaft 15 is passed through the hole 13 and through the bearing invbracket 12, and fast on its overhung inner end is a sprocket 16 which, by means of a. sprocket chain 17, drives a sprocket 18 mounted. free to rotate on the shaft 1. This sprocket 18 has on its side adjacent to the rack a lug 19 which is disposed to engage a shoulder 20 on an arm i of the adjacent spider and push it ahead of the lug, thereby 2l and 22 are i'lisposed on each side o'tl each link ll and a key 23 holds the parts against' endwise displacement trom the. shat't. A worm wheel 2l is mour "d on the outer end of the driving shaltl and is driven by a worin wheel 25 on a shal't l which is driven by a motor 2T attached lo any suitable over- Sli head support 2S. y

'.lhe drivingr mechanism shown is adapted 'to -produce a very slow rotation ot the disn -play rack in a clochwise direction and as this rotation occurs the display rack will have an intermittent rotary and oscillatory movement as follows: ssuniin;Y the lugY lf in engagement with the shoulder 2O and the spider in the position shown in Fig". 2, as the rotation ot the luev takes place it 'pushesA the. rack ahead ol it causing" the lower series ot antit'rictioii rollers 7 to rideup the wall 2) at the hack ot' the display rack and swing the rack outwardly 'l'roin the wall on its swingingV arms 14 until the said series ol" alining rollers passes a dead center position when the weight of the display trame will cause said rollers to snapt'orward and drop the rack back against the wall with the succeeding series ot' rollers in lower-most position. rlhis `gravitating movement ol the rack relatively to its driving' sprocket is possible because the rack has no positive connection with the driving sprocket and is tree, at all times to move ahead ol the pusher lug 1S) on the sprocket. The latter continues its slow follow movement until it, again picks up the shoulder 2() on the rack and then the shifting opera-tion of the latter repeatedu ln this manner the display rack has substantial intervals ot' rest which are suliicient /tor dis play purposes and its bodilyoscillatory movements serve 'to attract attention and at the same time maintain the rach normally in retracted position.

By ,reference to Fig. l, l' illustrate a spider having' a hub il and but two diametrically opposite arms 4, on one of `.vhich is provided the shoulder 20, rIhe spider arms al carry the yokes 5, rods '(3, rollers 'l' and clips S, all as hereinbe'liore described, but to permit the display cards to be bowed slightly inwardly so as to insure their retention in the rack, l use small dian'ieter shat't l and 'proportionately reduce the diameter ot 'the hubs 39 so that the display cards can be mounted asshown in Fig. 4. The driving mechanism for the shaft la is identical with that described' for theA shaft l and the operation of the display raokvis the same, except that it ehanges'twioe in each complete cycle of the'drrving lug 19 instead ot three times and therefore 'has longer periods of rest equal each to. aquarter ot the time relxured for the racks rotation.

, and means to rotate said sprocket, substani,2ee,3o?

rotating the, rack andv its shaft l. VJashers l/Vhile l. have described and illustrated my display apparatus as applied to street carv. it will be understood that the rack may he designed and adapted for variousv and sundry display purposes.

This invention is not intended to bey restricted in scope'to the specific embodiments shownrbut contemplates suchmodifications as come within the spirit and scope of the claims. Y

ll'hat l claim as new and desire to Secure by Letters Patent, is:-

l. ln a display 'meehanisnn a rotary rack having! a plurality ot display surfaces7 swinging' supports for the rack and a rotatable pusher element to effect the intermittent rotation ot' said rack, and means to support the rack free for a gravitating movement.

ln a display mechanism, a rotary rack havingl a plurality ot' display surfaces,.

swinging' arms in which the rack is r0- tatahly mounted 'free for a gravity controlled oscillatory moven'ient, and a rotatable pusher element to effect the rotation and oscillation of said rack. said pusher element being' supported at the free ends of said arms and having;` a driving element concentric with the arms, substantially as described.

A a display mechanism, a rotary rack havingV a plurality swinging' arms in which the rack is journaled` and a rotatable pusher element to eflect the rotation and oscillation of said rack,r said pusher element beingv supported at the tree ends ot said arms and having a driving' element concentric with ythe arms, substantially as described.

l. ln a display mechanism, a .rotatable rack having` a plurality of display faces, antifriction means at the/junction of the outer edges of adjacentt'aees, a fixed support tor the rack havingg` swinging arms 1n which the rack is journaled, and a, pusher means to intermittently rotate said rack and in conjunction with lsaid support to eli'eot the oscillatory movements of the rack.A

5. ln a display mechanism, a rack comprising; a center shat't, a plurality of spiders thereon havingr antifriction rollsat their sup: port engagingends, a support for the rack having hinged arms in which the rack shaft is freely journaled, means to mount a plurality of display cards between each adjacent pairs of spiders, a sprocket rotatable on the shaft and having a lug, an element fast to the shaft and adapted to be engaged and pushed by said lugv torotate the rack,

tially as described. Y

6. In a display apparatus,Avv a polygonal racjk adapted to display a plurality (if series of cards, antitriction elements at the apices of the rack, a supporting suvfaee behind the rack adapted to be engaged by said elements.

ot display surfaces,

rie

swinging supports for the rack, and an intermittent drive to rotate the rack, substantially :is described.

7. In a display apparatus? a polygonal rack aclziped to (lisplaya plurality of longi- 'tudinal series of cards, rollers at the aplces of the rack, swinging supports for the rack, and 4a rotem-ble pusher inea-ns to intermittently rotate the rack and the supporting surface engaged by said nntifriotion means.

8. In a display rack, a shaft, :L plurality of spiders fast thereon and having yokes at the free ends of 'the spider arms, longitudinal which support said rack, fixed support en- Witness A NOMIE lllnLsH. 

